What now for Manchester United defender? - Eric Bailly

The Ivory Coast international has struggled with injuries in England, and perhaps it might be time to consider an exit from Old Trafford.

Given all that has transpired, on the pitch but mostly off it, in the course of Eric Bailly’s Manchester United career, it is easy to understate that the biggest toll on the powerful centre-back might be a mental one.

It has been three years since the 25-year-old joined from Villarreal, raw but with plenty of promise and upside. At the time, the thinking was that, under the guiding hand of Jose Mourinho, his attributes would be utilized optimally; a layer of polish and a lick of paint on his rough edges, but also the option of his pace and agility enabling a more front-foot defensive style.

There have even been flashes of that.

Perhaps Bailly’s finest showing in a United shirt came in the North West derby of March 2018, when he was at the centre of a trademark Mourinho rearguard action that saw the Red Devils win out 2-1 at Old Trafford. That he also scored an own-goal in the middle of that dominant showing – complete with an audacious pirouette past Mohamed Salah in the first half – perhaps serves to heighten the sense of misfortune that has dogged his time in Manchester.